Ornaments
by theladyofmyths
Summary: Jack and Ashi are married and have a child together, but Ashi finds that she has a hard time being intimate with her husband again. Modern AU; M rating is for sexual themes


Ashi had discovered that she was pregnant with their first child nearly a year ago and was ecstatic to tell Jack the good news. He was so overjoyed that he nearly started crying.

They had almost always had an active sex life. Ashi coming to be with child did not slow this down until the third trimester, when the act of penetration had suddenly become alarmingly painful. Even when they tried to use lube after consulting their doctor, it did not help.

The delivery had gone well, bringing a tiny boy into the world that had what Jack could only describe as the most adorable cowlick in the world.

Before being discharged, their doctor told them Ashi needed to come see her two months later, to make sure she had healed well and to give her the go ahead to be able to do certain tasks again.

Even after the doctor's assurance that her body could handle intimacy again, she was hesitant to even tell Jack that the doctor had given her the "go ahead." Rather than embracing him again, she found herself hesitant to even try. She would barely kiss him and when the subject turned to touching each other, she would desperately try to change the subject or just tell him she was tired. It got to the point where she wouldn't even undress in front of him.

It had been a rough six months.

Jack had heard about this happening in marriages: the couple would be actively affectionate and then after having a child the sex would just stop. He just never thought they would be one of them. Not that sex was a huge factor in their relationship. Hell, when they first started dating, he had been the one afraid to even give her a simple kiss!

He remembered Ashi had been very patient with him, even after it was made explicitly clear what she wanted to do with him and all he could bring himself to do was blush and confess his inexperience to her.

How she smiled and told him he didn't need to be embarrassed; when she told him she was happy to wait for him to feel ready, too.

The moment she first said she loved him.

It was in remembering this that Jack started to realize that maybe his dear wife needed to hear that from him.

Jack walked to their bedroom to find Ashi sitting on their bed with her bathrobe open, unaware of his presence.

Her expression was unhappy as her hands covered up her stomach.

The second Jack made himself known, Ashi immediately pulled her robe shut as tightly as she could and stood up from the bed.

"J-Jack! Sweetie! Hi, did you need something?" She stammered out with a nervous smile.

Jack shut the door behind him and Ashi's smile faded.

"Ashi," he began. "I can't help but notice that there's been a shift in the physical side of our relationship and while I do not understand why you won't even let me see you, I do understand why you would want to be left alone. However, I… can not help but feel undesired and I keep wondering if there's something I've done wrong."

She wanted to tell him no. She wanted to tell him how wonderful he's been through all of this. She wanted to tell him why she was so distant.

However, when she started to open her mouth, the only thing that came out was a sob.

Embarrassed, she covered her face in her hands, and repeatedly told him she was sorry. Jack closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her and held her until she calmed down again.

"It's alright, Ashi. Just please tell me what's wrong."

Ashi remained silent, then she finally gained the courage to tell him: "It's my stomach. I didn't want you to see it because it looks hideous now."

"My love, I can assure you that you are no such thing. You're as beautiful as the day I met you."

"You wouldn't say that if -"

"I want to see them."

Ashi fell silent, looking down to her feet and then back to her husband. Very slowly, she undid the sash holding her robe closed and let her hands fall to the side as Jack moved to open her robe.

Jack peeled off her robe, exposing her body to him as she still tried to cover her stomach. He saw that while she was no longer rounded from her baby bump, her skin had lost it's elasticity. In place of her once flat stomach, she had a fold of loose skin and stretch marks around her torso.

"Jack, please. They're so ugly."

"No, they're not. They're a part of you," he told her as he dropped to his knees and pulled her hands away. "They're the marks of a woman who did something powerful. They're like ornaments decorating your skin." He traced his fingers along the marks, eliciting a soft moan from Ashi.

Jack began kissing his wife's stomach, following the lines that now adorned her skin with his tongue and his lips. His hands caressed her sides and her lower back, holding her close to him. Ashi sighed and rested her hands on his shoulders.

"I love how soft you feel," he whispered.

He was surprised to hear what sounded like a whimper of his name in response.

He was about to ask her if he had somehow hurt her. As he looked up, however, he saw that Ashi had both a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

Not being sure what she needed, he simply asked, "Do you need me to stop?"

Ashi fell to her knees, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him as if the two of them hadn't seen each other in years.

She broke the kiss only to whisper four words to him. "Don't ever stop again."

She then returned to kissing him deeply, nibbling at his lips and teasing him with her tongue and he did the same. She pulled off his shirt slowly. He stood up and pulled down his pants and his boxers with them, making himself as bare as she was.

He helped Ashi stand back up and pulled her close to him.

Ashi began kissing his shoulders as Jack did the same to her neck, causing her to moan loudly.

Jack caressed her skin, touching her everywhere that he could reach. It wasn't until he was bold enough to try to slip a finger between her folds that she suddenly pushed away.

"Are you not ready yet?" He asked when he saw the trace of worry on her features.

"I-it's not that," she said softly. "I… I pushed out another person. What if…" Her eyes moved away from him. "w-what if it doesn't feel right anymore?"

Jack was silent for a moment, and then Ashi felt his hand on her cheek. "Ashi?"

Her eyes moved back towards his and saw a gentle smile on his face.

"There is something important you need to understand about your body."

"What?"

"I did not ask you to be my wife because of it."

Ashi smiled. "I know you didn't," she replied, leaning forward to kiss him.

"If it doesn't feel right, we'll find another way. Just tell me if something feels wrong."

"Alright. Could we move to the bed first?"

"Of course."

They stood and took not three steps towards their bed, when Jack scooped her up in his arms and carried her bridal style the rest of the way. Ashi let out a laugh and kissed his jawline and neck as he sat down on their bed.

Ashi pushed herself out of his arms and laid down on her side. She smiled and stretched out her arm for him to come join her. Jack crawled over next to her and wrapped her back up in his arms. They kissed again, softly pressing their bodies together.

Ashi gently sucked on his lower lip as she moved her hand down to his ass and gave him a firm squeeze. Jack let out something between a growl and a moan. He then made a trail of kisses from her lips to her jawline, down her neck and below her collarbone. He then cupped one of her breasts in his hand. Ashi gasped at the sensation as he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked. He was gentle at first, but as Ashi moved her hand to the back of his head and urged him forward, he was soon sucking harder and gently using his teeth. Ashi moaned out his name in such a way that if he was not already rock hard, he would have quickly become so.

She then separated from him, rolling onto her back and opening her legs for him for the first time since before their baby was born. Ashi then guided him on top of her and gasped when she felt his erection against her womanhood. Jack groaned with lust when he discovered just how wet she was. Ashi started to move her hands down when Jack suddenly asked her to wait.

"Is something wrong, Jack?"

"No, just… please remember what I said. If it doesn't feel right, just tell me. We can stop anytime you need."

Ashi smiled and kissed him. "Thank you, beloved."

Ashi then used one of her hands to spread her lips open and the other to grasp Jack's erection as she guided it inside of her. He pushed in, slowly and gently, until he was fully sheathed inside of her. Ashi let out an involuntary moan and fisted her hands in their sheets. She panted as she felt her walls being stretched and her mind tried to process the forgotten sensations.

She had feared her body wouldn't heal. She feared she would barely feel him, or worse, that it would hurt.

She was wrong.

She was very aware that he was inside of her. Had it always felt like this and she somehow forgot?

Jack couldn't believe how tight she was. Had he not known better, he would swear that she was still maidenly. Part of him wasn't surprised that the sensation felt so intense. It had been over six months since they last made love, after all. Every lustful urge inside him was screaming at him to thrust as hard as he could but he fought back the feeling, waiting to know whether or not she felt ready.

"Jack?" she whispered.

"Yes, Ashi?"

"Did- did you get bigger? I don't remember you ever feeling this huge."

Jack couldn't help but blush at her statement and laugh nervously. "Well, uh… it has been a while since…" Jack suddenly stopped when he realized that there may have been something else she was trying to imply. "Wait, this isn't uncomfortable, is it?"

"No," she replied. "It's just- OH!"

Jack had involuntarily twitched his cock, causing Ashi to cry out and grab his arms as he felt her become tighter for a few seconds.

"Oh, my. That… should not have caused that," Ashi sighed out.

"Are you sure you don't need to stop?"

"Yes. Just… start slowly?"

"Of course."

Jack began to push in and pull out of her slowly as Ashi let out soft sighs. Soon, she wrapped her legs around him and began to synchronize her movements with his, so she could have him push inside of her as she moved to have him as deeply as she could. He soon started pumping into her faster and she welcomed it, moaning out in pleasure and being unable to control the volume of her voice as she cried out his name and begged him for more.

He began to drive into her roughly as he felt her tightening around him. She very suddenly let out something between a scream and a moan just as he felt himself explode inside of her and let out something like a gasp and a grunt.

Jack pulled out and collapsed next to her, trying to catch his breath as he came down from his climax. Ashi worked to catch her breath as well. Not wanting to lose contact with him, Ashi reached over and took his hand into hers. Jack adjusted it so that their fingers were laced together.

As their breathing finally returned to normal, Ashi and Jack moved closer together and held each other, pulling a blanket up around them.

"Hey, Jack?" Ashi whispered.

"Yes, Beloved?"

"We came together. I don't think we've ever done that. It was very sexy."

"I'm glad you were able to finish," Jack said blushing. They had been married for a while but he swore he may never get used to hearing her talk about such things. "Are you alright now?"

Ashi smiled. "I am feeling significantly better. Thank you."

They started to kiss. Unfortunately, their tiny son just woke up from a nap and made sure they knew it.


End file.
